Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Reigning MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi gave Yamaha its second win of the 2004 season today, a thrilling victory at his home Grand Prix at Mugello, Italy.

Rossi battled for the lead with Sete Gibernau in the first, dry segment of the race. Makoto Tamada was also in strong contention until his Honda failed, and Max Biaggi challenged before fading slightly late.

The racing at the front was fantastic with passes coming fast, furious (Rossi and Gibernau touched at one point) and often all around the fast, long track. The race was stopped for rain on lap 18 of 23, however.

After a short break to change tires, the grid was re-assembled for a winner-take-all six-lap re-start. Stop-start rain made the tire choice for the re-start a gamble for everyone, however, because the race would not be stopped if conditions changed again. Complicating matters, it continued to rain sporadically on parts of the circuit during the final six laps.

The final half-wet/half-dry segment of the race saw Norick Abe, Alex Barros, Ruben Xaus and Troy Bayliss lead at points. But after evaluating the conditions, Rossi pushed forward, took the lead with less than two laps to go and beat a charging Gibernau to the line by a small margin. Biaggi, who had been third when the race was stopped, was third again at the race’s conclusion, followed closely by Bayliss, Xaus, Barros and Abe.

Gibernau holds his World Championship points lead, but Rossi’s win pushes him past Biaggi into second in the point standings.


MotoGP running order when the race was stopped:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 17 laps, 31:52.012
2. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, -0.076 second
3. Max BIAGGI, Honda, -1.303 seconds
4. Alex BARROS, Honda, -3.051 seconds
5. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, -10.487 seconds
6. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, -18.209 seconds
7. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -19.570 seconds
8. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, -19.661 seconds
9. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, -21.660 seconds
10. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, -30.473 seconds
11. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, -36.480 seconds
12. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, -36.668 seconds
13. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, -39.372 seconds
14. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, -50.969 seconds
15. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, -60.588 seconds
16. Andrew PITT, Moriwaki, -79.887 seconds
17. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, -81.675 seconds
18. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, -4 laps, out , mechanical
19. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, -5 laps, out, tire failure
20. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, -7 laps, out, crash
21. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, -8 laps, out, mechanical
22. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, -14 laps, out, crash
23. Kurtis ROBERTS, Proton, -14 laps, out, mechanical

Final MotoGP Race Results:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 23 laps
2. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, -0.361 second
3. Max BIAGGI, Honda, -1.540 seconds
4. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, -1.782 seconds
5. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, -2.389 seconds
6. Alex BARROS, Honda, -2.446 seconds
7. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -5.842 seconds
8. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, -6.228 seconds
9. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, -6.461 seconds
10. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, -7.198 seconds
11. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, -9.048 seconds
12. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, -9.626 seconds
13. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, -14.201 seconds
14. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, -48.091 seconds
15. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, -50.498 seconds
16. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, -56.572 seconds
17. Andrew PITT, Moriwaki, -59.267 seconds

Not starting final leg:

Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki
Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki
Makoto TAMADA, Honda
Nicky HAYDEN, Honda
Carlos CHECA, Yamaha
Kurtis ROBERTS, Proton


MotoGP World Championship Point Standings:

1. GIBERNAU, 86 points
2. ROSSI, 76 points
3. BIAGGI, 72 points
4. BARROS, 48 points
5. CHECA, 36 points
6. EDWARDS, 33 points
7. CAPIROSSI, 28 points
8. HAYDEN, 27 points
9. BAYLISS, 23 points
10. MELANDRI, 22 points
11. ABE, 21 points
12. TAMADA, 15 points
13. XAUS, 13 points
14. Kenny ROBERTS, 12 points
15. NAKANO, 11 points
16. TIE, BYRNE/FABRIZIO, 7 points
18. TIE, HODGSON/AOKI/HOFMANN, 5 points
21. John HOPKINS, 4 points
22. McWILLIAMS, 3 points
23. Kurtis ROBERTS, 1 point


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

BAYLISS FOURTH IN RESTARTED ITALIAN GP

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss finished a brilliant fourth in today’s restarted Italian GP with team-mate Loris Capirossi coming home in eighth spot. The race was run over just six laps after the first race was stopped due to rain. According to current MotoGP regulations the first ‘leg’ is annulled, the second ‘leg’ deciding the result.

“The second race was a bit of a gamble for everyone,” commented Ducati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicali. “Troy rode very well in both races, proving that the work we had done with him during Friday and Saturday was successful. I believe that we are now making inroads into our difficulties, we are focusing on weight distribution and geometry, and we also have a new configuration engine that we will test here next Tuesday.”

BAYLISS SCORES BEST RESULT OF 2004

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss rode two superb races at Mugello today. The hard-riding Aussie had got up to sixth in the first 18-lap race when rain fell and the red flags came out, a brilliant performance considering he had qualified 15th. And he was even more impressive in the restart, leading at half-distance in treacherous wet and dry conditions. He crossed the finish line fourth, just 1.7 seconds behind winner Valentino Rossi (Yamaha).

“I thought I had a chance in that second race, but you really have to hand it to Valentino, he puts it on the line,” said Bayliss, who thought the race shouldn’t have been restarted. “I don’t get scared but I don’t want to be in that situation again. The conditions were dangerous, we all got lucky but I think everyone would agree that that wasn’t the right thing to do. I was going okay in the first race, I was consistent because I was getting used to riding the bike.”

CAPIROSSI FINISHES EIGHTH AT HOME

Loris Capirossi finished today’s Italian GP in eighth place after an incident-packed couple of outings. The Ducati Marlboro Team man had two close shaves in the first race, running wide when Carlos Checa crashed just in front of him, then losing more time when Shinya Nakano had a massive get-off close to top speed on the start-finish straight.

“They should have stopped the race after Nakano’s crash, it was very big,” said the Italian. “I also had to slow when Checa went down just in front of me. It’s been a difficult weekend – I had a lack of grip in the first race so I was sliding too much, and the second race was just a lottery, whoever took the biggest risks gained the most. My congratulations to Troy, he rode really well in both races.”

Nakano was battered and bruised in his high-speed crash but suffered no broken bones.


More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

HOFMANN FINISHES IN THE POINTS AS NAKANO ESCAPES INJURY IN FEARSOME CRASH

Fuchs Kawasaki rider Alex Hofmann finished 14th in a bizarre day of racing that saw his teammate Shinya Nakano miraculously escape serious injury in a 300 kph crash.

Hofmann scored two points after a conservative ride on slick tyres, in a final six lap dash on a wet track, after the Italian Grand Prix was red-flagged because of rain. Only the second race counted for championship points and positions.

Hofmann started his Ninja ZX-RR from 12th, his position at the red flag, in the second race.

Before the rain stoppage Nakano was lucky to avoid serious injury when he was sent cart wheeling from his Ninja ZX-RR after suffering a rear tyre failure on the high speed front straight just past the start finish line.

The Japanese rider spiralled into a trackside barrier and after treatment at the medical centre it was confirmed that he was suffering from contusions, a bruised left shoulder, a bruised wrist and an injured finger on his right hand.

The impact of Nakano’s crash scattered debris from his machine across the track.

Nakano’s crash made the remainder of Hofmann’s race day extremely difficult. The 24-year-old German rider was a couple of places behind Nakano at the time of the incident and rode past the crash scene to see “a lot of green debris” lying around.

Hofmann had used a different rear tyre to Nakano for the first race and had no tyre problems during the initial 18-lap run. With the Italian GP reduced to a six lap dash Hofmann and the Kawasaki Racing Team made the wise decision to ride for points, as further showers made conditions treacherous and slippery.

Alex Hofmann: 14th
“That was a hard race and it was very difficult to concentrate, especially after Shinya’s crash The weekend was going well and I didn’t want it to end like this. I had seen Shinya ahead of me for many laps and then he was gone. I saw a lot of green debris on the main straight, so it was easy to figure out that something had gone wrong. At this time I slowed down and let Neil Hodgson pass me, so I could concentrate on what was going on with my bike. The second six lap race was insane. There were 17 riders going into turn one in the rain on slicks. I had no choice but to ride around and make sure I got some points; this has been a difficult day for everyone in the team.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“After the promise shown by both riders during practice and qualifying for this race, the result today was not what we were expecting. After getting boxed in at the start, Shinya had begun to move up the field towards the top ten when his rear tyre failed, causing him to crash at the fastest part of the circuit. I saw the crash from pit wall and, after watching the bike cartwheel down the track, I’m amazed that Shinya came through it without serious injury. We don’t know what caused the failure at this time, but the tyre will be sent back to Bridgestone in Japan for analysis tomorrow and I’m confident that we’ll have an explanation before the next race at Catalunya. Alex was also working his way through the field when the onset of rain brought out the red flags. We had no choice but to start the second part of the race on slicks, but no sooner had the riders lined up on the grid than the rain started to fall again. Alex showed just how much he’s matured as a rider this year, with his decision to bring the bike home in the points rather than risking all in such treacherous conditions. He did a good job under difficult circumstances.”


More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

ROSSI VICTORIOUS AND PEERLESS IN FRONT OF MUGELLO HOME CROWD

Valentino Rossi held his nerve and maintained his race-long aggression to outpace his rivals not once but twice at Mugello in today’s Italian Grand Prix. In doing so he seized his second win since joining the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team, in outstanding style. His team-mate Carlos Checa fell on the 4th lap in the first sector of a two-race event, putting himself out of the subsequent re-start, the only one which would count for points.

The initial race was stopped with five laps remaining after the riders raised their hands to signal that the threatening rains had actually started. A six-lap restart would determine the ultimate classification of the race, with the first section now nullified.

Rossi, who had led Sete Gibernau’s Honda on the last of the laps in the first running, repeated the trick in seemingly impossible conditions. The 25-year-old from Tavullia won by 0.361 seconds in the restart. With treacherous conditions to deal with Rossi was in a six-rider group at one stage, before asserting his class and quality to outrun Gibernau and third placed Max Biaggi (Honda) in what proved to be a sprint race of maximum risk and changeable traction.

If the second running was a minor classic, the opener was conducted on a no less grand scale. Rossi drew roars from the crowd as he took the advantage from the start, leading into the first corner with his great Italian rival Max Biaggi in second place. Checa, in eighth position, had already made a three place jump from his 11th place start, only to fall on lap four. A huge crash on the main straight for Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) saw debris littering the track surface; the Japanese rider escaped serious injury by a whisker, although the race continued until the rains descended on lap 17.

The riders lined up for the restart in the order in which they finished the first segment, with Rossi on pole, Gibernau second and Biaggi third. Checa, having fallen in the first part, was not allowed to restart. With this second Yamaha victory Rossi now sits second in the championship on 76 points, ten behind leader Gibernau and four ahead of Biaggi. Checa ended his Mugello race weekend in overall fifth, with 36 points.

VALENTINO ROSSI (1st)

“To win in front of all these people is incredible. It’s hard to explain the emotion I felt when I heard the crowds cheering for me on the last few laps. I need to say thank you to all of them. It was like winning twice today. The first one was in the dry, where it seemed like I made thirty or forty overtaking manoeuvres. Every lap there was a fantastic battle with Sete, Max and Tamada. It would have been difficult to win in the dry with Gibernau, but the new race in the rain was held in incredible conditions. To run with a slick on a wet track was very strange at the beginning but fortunately it stopped raining and it was possible to push to the win.”

CARLOS CHECA (DNF)

“I passed Capirossi through the second chicane and then on the next corner I opened the gas and lost the rear. Obviously I’m very disappointed and I don’t really know what to say. It has dented my morale a little bit. One good thing is that I have been able to retain fifth position in the championship. Now we’re going to Barcelona where a good result is really important in front of my home crowd. I hope things will go better there. ”

JERRY BURGESS -VALENTINO ROSSI’S CREW CHIEF

“It was very satisfying to win after the second running as Valentino did so well in the first race, which didn’t count in the end. We always make preparations in case of rain so we were ready. We had to put him on full slicks in the six-lap race, just like most others. It was a little tricky as the rain was probably heavier then than it had been when they first stopped it, but it all worked out.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR

“That was a really strange day but what a result! Valentino and the team worked so well to come out on top from the restart in such difficult conditions. I think we will all remember this race for a very long time. Unfortunately at the same time it was not a good day for Carlos; he started a difficult race from 11th on the grid, he knew it would be hard and didn’t make it to the end. Hopefully he can keep his motivation because he’s done a good job in the past rounds and Barcelona could be a great chance for him.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

ROBERTS RETIRES FROM ITALIAN GP
Team Suzuki MotoGP rider Kenny Roberts Jr retired from today’s Italian GP with engine problems, losing the chance of another top-ten finish.

The 2000 World Champion had qualified ninth and was lying in the same position, “holding my own”, when he retired on the 10th of 22 scheduled laps of the 5.245km Mugello circuit outside Florence.

Roberts was riding alone, his team-mate John Hopkins withdrawing from the GP before qualifying began, still suffering from a broken thumb sustained at the previous round, the French GP, where he was innocent victim of a first-lap crash.

Roberts had started strongly and was well placed in a five-bike battle for seventh when his engine slowed and he withdrew to the pits.

The race continued for 18 laps, but then spots of rain fell and the race was stopped. Under the “race neutralisation” regulations introduced last year, those results only decided grid positions for a restart and a six-lap sprint, won by defending champion Valentino Rossi.

The next race is the Catalunyan GP at Montmelo outside Barcelona next weekend, where a modified version of the Suzuki GSV-R’s engine will be introduced. The new engine has a revised firing pattern that the riders say improves throttle response and mid-range performance and reduces engine braking, which makes for a more ‘user-friendly’ machine.

Hopkins will be riding in Catalunya. “I’m going straight to Barcelona to work on healing. I know it will be painful, but I want to race,” he said. Team physiotherapist Dean Miller will work with the 21-year-old Anglo American in his quest for fitness.

There will be a third Suzuki in the Catalunyan race. Spanish racer Gregorio Lavilla, official Suzuki GP test rider, has a Wild Card entry for the GP.


KENNY ROBERTS Jr – Did Not Finish:

“I got a decent start and was holding my own in that position. We were where we should have been. I was just trying to stay there and looking forward to Barcelona where we have improvements coming that should help our situation. Then the bike stopped halfway through, so there’s not much I can say apart from that. We’ll just have to wait until Barcelona and see what happens.”


GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager

“Nobody could ask Kenny to do more or race harder than he did today. Our situation has already improved this season compared to last and we have more improvements coming from the factory for the next race that performed very promisingly when we tested after the Spanish GP. There is no doubt in any of our minds that Kenny and John are ready to grab hold of any technical improvements and make the absolute most of them. We’re all looking forward to next weekend.”


More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

Byrne joy after maiden MotoGP top 10


Mugello, 6.6.04


Shane Byrne claimed a stunning first MotoGP top 10 finish after an incident-packed afternoon at Aprilia’s home race in Mugello.



The British rider had been running in 13th position when the red flags came out to halt proceedings due to rain showers on lap 18 of the scheduled 23. The race was restarted and run over six laps and in mixed conditions Shakey produced an inspired display on the updated Cube three-cylinder. Rain was falling heavily in some sections of the 5.245km circuit, and having decided to run full slicks in the restart, Byrne grew in confidence as he found himself fighting with the world’s best riders. By the second lap he had already elevated himself into the top 10. And he continued to grow in stature and by lap three he was running in seventh place behind world champion Valentino Rossi for a while. He eventually slipped back to 10th as the conditions improved, and the pace began to increase.



The jubilant 27-year-old said: “In the first part of the race I’d lost contact with the guys in front and couldn’t really do anymore. In the second part of the race I quickly realised that the top riders were unable to set faster times than me. I got into a good rythmn and I felt really positive running with those guys. It was like being back in superbikes. I think the track started to dry too fast and the other guys suddenly found their speed, but I’m really with my first top ten finish in MotoGP. The team have been working really hard and this is a great reward for all of Aprilia’s efforts.”



British team-mate Jeremy McWilliams finished in 16th position, having gambled to run on full wet tyres for the second race. After completing the two warm-up laps, McWilliams pulled into the pits to switch to his Cube set up on wet tyres as the conditions seemed to be worsening.

McWilliams, who had been running in 14th place before the first race was stopped, said: “All I needed was a little more rain. I thought it was an inspired choice because the rain was really heavy at turn one. But the track temperature was so hot that the rain was drying up almost straight away. I’m disappointed because today was a good chance to score some good points.” McWilliams was also suffering badly today through injury as doctors confirmed he’s broken two ribs in a crash on Friday.


More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

200 MPH AOKI IN THE POINTS AGAIN IN ITALY

Nobuatsu Aoki: 13th
Kurtis Roberts: Retired

Proton Team KR rider Nobuatsu Aoki claimed his second World Championship points of the season in today’s Italian GP, finishing 13th in a fraught half-wet second part of a race interrupted by rain.

Team-mate Kurtis Roberts had already retired when the first part of the race was stopped, sidelined in the opening stages with technical problems.

The race was originally scheduled to run for 23 laps of the fast and spectacular 5.245 km Mugello circuit outside Florence in the foothills of the Apennines. It started in blazing sunshine, and though Kurtis was soon in the pits, Aoki was holding a points-scoring 15th position on the 17th lap. Shortly afterwards it started to rain. The race was stopped immediately, and under regulations introduced last year was later restarted for a six-lap deciding sprint. The first 18 laps counted only for grid positions for the restart.

Conditions were difficult, with most of the track dry, but the first corner still streaming wet. Like all but one of the riders, Aoki chose dry-weather slick tyres, prepared to tough it out through the wet patches.

He started from 15th on the new grid, and after six laps of wildly changing fortunes had gained two places for his best finish so far in the four-race-old season. The race was won by defending champion Valentino Rossi.

The next round is the Catalunyan GP next weekend, the second of six races packed into just eight weekends.

Footnote: Aoki took the 990cc V5 Proton KR V5 into the 200mph club during the weekend of the Italian GP, recording a top speed of 202.88 mph (326.5 km/h) during qualifying.

NOBUATSU AOKI
The first dry part of the race was pretty tough. I used a new rear Dunlop from Japan, and for the first three or four laps it was good and I was able to follow Jeremy McWilliams’s Aprilia quite easily. I was thinking it was all alright, but then it became very inconsistent and hard to manage, and I was struggling to keep my pace the best I could. For the second race I chose a softer-compound slick tyre, and it worked pretty well, though I wish it had kept raining. After it dried up more I lost some places. One part of the track was still wet, and first time through everyone was very careful – but in fact the slick tyres were gaining heat on the rest of the track, and it wasn’t that bad. It was good to get that position, and I really appreciate the work of the weekend. I had no major engine problems, and we could work on setting up the bike. I hope it keeps going like this next weekend.

KURTIS ROBERTS
I was in trouble from the start. My fuel tank was leaking and the clutch was slipping. I was slow all the way, and pulled in after a couple of laps.

KENNY ROBERTS – TEAM PRINCIPAL
We know what we need to do … to improve the tyres, and improve the motorcycle. In fact we made a lot of progress this weekend, though Kurtis had some problems. We need to keep going the same way.


More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Camel Honda riders give a good performance in Mugello

There was a great deal of excitement surrounding the fourth round of the World Championship in Mugello, a race interrupted by rain with five laps remaining. Then it was down to the remaining six-lap shortened race to decide the final result of the Italian Grand Prix, when Max Biaggi took another important podium finish with a creditable third place ride. In the first part of the race before the interruptions, Makoto Tamada was the main star of the show, battling with the top riders throughout and leading the race several times.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“It was an exciting Sunday, and as we expected, the yellow RC211V of the Camel Honda team were involved in all the action. Max did some great work and even went into the second part of the race risking everything by riding in the rain with slicks. I also feel so sorry for Makoto becase in the first part he did some fantastic things. Next week in Catalunya it will be another important race for us, where we’ll do our best once more.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 3rd – 12’08.343
“You could say that I’m happy to be on the podium in my home race, especially after having started in sixth place on the grid and after a not so easy weekend as regards the set-up of the bike. I could probably also say though that I’m unhappy about the fact that we were never in a position to battle for victory with Sete and Valentino. In the parts of the track where I have always been strong, the two “arrabbiate” corners and the fast esses, I was impeded by a sharp vibration which meant I couldn’t keep the best line and this made me lose tenth after tenth, whilst on the straight, the engine was really powerful. The second race was incredible; we set off with slicks and in the first bend it was like a lake, whilst in other parts of the track there was less standing water. This is an important podium, the situation in the overall standings is wide open, and I have basically the same distance in points to the top position as Rossi had before Mugello. In Barcelona however I need to do well, and I want to get my revenge.”

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“Exiting the last bend before the start-finish straight, Makoto noticed a strange vibration in the rear which increased a lot as he went down the straight itself. After a slight off-track moment at the San Donato corner, Makoto decided to shut off the gas and retire from the race because the rear tyre anomaly was becoming worrying. The engineers will now do an exhaustive analysis to find the issue. I have to thank the squad for the competitiveness we showed with our RC211V and Makoto for having given us some unforgettable moments in the battles he had as he became the star of the first part of the race.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) –
Retired int he first part of the race
“The duel with Rossi was fantastic. That’s how I always want to ride. The bike was perfect and I was riding at the limit. I’m so unhappy about having to retire, but the vigorous vibrations from the rear tyre as I came out of the Bucine corner became really worrying as I came down the straight. I knew something not quite right was going on with the rear tyre, and I preferred to stop. It’s a real shame, because it was a fantastic Sunday.”


More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

SETE SEALS VALUABLE PODIUM AND LEAVES MUGELLO AS LEADER

Sete Gibernau ended a fantastic weekend at Mugello with second place in the race which means he can head home to the Gran Premio de Catalunya next weekend as leader of the MotoGP World Championship and with hero status. The Telefónica MoviStar Honda MotoGP rider overcame the toughest race of the year, with the Italian riders performing in front of their fans but Sete maintaining his excellent form from qualifying to take a starring role in a split race interrupted by rain just six laps from the end. The Spaniard remained calm despite two bad starts and battled head-to-head with Valentino Rossi until the end. Max Biaggi completed the podium but lost second place in the championship to Rossi, with Gibernau holding a 10 point advantage over the World Champion. Colin Edwards continued suffering from set-up problems and finished back in twelfth.

THE OPINION OF THE PROTAGONISTS

SETE GIBERNAU (2º): “To finish second after such a nice battle w! ith Valentino and to still be leader of the World Championship is an incredible result for me. I am happy with all the work we have done this weekend and with the feeling I’ve had – now I’m looking forward to going to Barcelona, where the fans should enjoy themselves as much as the Italians here today. I’m sure it will be a lot of fun. In the first part of the race I recovered from a bad start and just when it seemed like a head to head between myself and Valentino, it started to rain. It was another tough battle in the last six laps and I’m satisfied with the result. Congratulations to Valentino”.

COLIN EDWARDS (12º): “I can’t say anything about the result… The only positive thing is that here in Mugello I have understood the reason behind some of my problems this year. I think it’s important to change my preparation and go back to training by doing some motocross and dirt-track. I have changed too many things this year, but I’m confident th! at I’ll find the right solution soon.”

FAUSTO GRESINI (team manager): “It was a strange and difficult race and I think that the two starts didn’t help us at all, but don’t let me take anything away from Sete’s second place; it’s a great result for us. We fought to take victory again and we still lead the championship after a very difficult weekend. For Colin I only want to say that the team’s aims are to give him all the support we can, and hope that we can all find the right way soon so that he can be at the front.”


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

GIBERNAU TAKES SECOND AS RAIN PLAYS HAVOC AT MUGELLO

Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) rode a determined race to second place in awkward conditions as the scheduled 25-lap MotoGP was stopped and the results annulled because of rain. The restarted 6-lap race was won by Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) with Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) third.

The new regulations (introduced at the beginning of last season) state that the race order two complete laps before the stoppage determines the grid order for the restarted race. Rossi was leading the ‘first’ race when rain fell on lap 19 and the red flags came out. Gibernau was second and Max third and those three comprised the front row as the second 6-lap ‘sprint’ race began.

The track was part wet and part dry – the worst conditions imaginable. And most riders had opted for slick tyres as the 15 remaining racers assembled on the grid for the start. But the ‘first’ race had been an action-packed thriller played out in front of 85,000 baying Italian race fans.

Four riders fought it out in the early stages: Rossi, Biaggi, Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres, and Gibernau. Rossi and Tamada exchanged the lead five times on lap seven. But Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) had a massive crash on the start/finish straight, amzingly without serious injury, when his rear tyre failed on lap 13. That same lap Tamada was forced to retire when he felt vibration from his rear tyre and wisely pulled off the track.

Gibernau and Rossi then slugged it out at the front as Max gradually lost touch. He had been struggling to find his customary speed here all weekend and ultimately was content with a rostrum in the second race. The Rossi versus Gibernau battle intensified on lap 17 when the two riders touched. Everything looked set for an epic contest until the rai